State of the Net Conference 2023

With several ongoing lawsuits against social media, search engine and gaming companies for violation of children and minors’ privacy, this panel will delve into the complexities and nuances of child privacy and safety laws and regulations, with a focus on the California Child Privacy Bill, the Kids Online Safety Act of 2022 and Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. We will also examine how these laws compare to similar legislation in the United Kingdom, such as the Online Safety Bill. How do these laws and regulations balance the protection of children's personal information online with the need for parental control and oversight? How do they take into account the rapidly evolving technological landscape and the diverse needs and experiences of children from different backgrounds and cultures? What are the challenges of effectively enforcing these laws and regulations, particularly in a globalized and interconnected online environment? How can we ensure that children are protected from the full range of online harms including misinformation, and other forms of harmful content? How can we address the issue of addiction in children's online behavior in a holistic and developmentally appropriate way, considering the complex interplay of social, emotional, and cognitive factors?